Research News and Information

This page and those following contain information on research
projects I'm working on here at Southwest Research Institute. Also included
are informational items that might be of general interest plus my
bibliography.

My research interests are largely focused on understanding Pluto and
the Kuiper Belt. I am also generally interested in icy surfaces wherever
they are found. Centaurs, transitional objects (asteroid/comet), and
comets provide the occasional diversion. Near-Earth objects are another
research concern but I am more committed to characterizing these objects
than with finding them.

I pursue my research objectives with a variety of techniques.
First and foremost I am an observational groundbased astronomer and will
use any facility and technique that can provide useful data. In support
of this leaning I am very much interested in both telescopic instrument
development and in robotic observing systems. I also pursue the very
specialized art of stellar occultation observations by solar system
bodies, usually with portable systems. Often just collecting data is not
enough so I also develop a lot of software for data analysis and modeling.
When possible I also observe with the Hubble Space Telescope, largely
in support of my Pluto work. Lastly, I am a collaborator with the New
Horizons mission to Pluto and provide input and support to the project
whenever I can.